


"Can you kiss me? Just one time? That's all I ask."

by Katt_the_Dragon



Series: KnT (mis)Adventures [1]
Category: Kid n Teenagers (Web Comic)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Hanahaki Disease, Heavy Angst, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Bad At Titles, I'm Sorry, I'm a terrible person, M/M, One-Sided Attraction, Unrequited Love, What Have I Done, What Was I Thinking?, z-t00n
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-05-17 07:46:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14828274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katt_the_Dragon/pseuds/Katt_the_Dragon
Summary: Chris is suffering from Hanahaki Disease and refuses to tell anyone.





	"Can you kiss me? Just one time? That's all I ask."

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so sorry... I'm a terrible person...
> 
> Flower Guide:  
> Gardenia - Secret Love  
> Pink Camellia - Longing  
> Marigold - Cruelty  
> Purple Hyacinth - Regret

It’s been three months now and it’s been getting harder to hide. Going about his normal life was now difficult for Chris due to the persistent sharp pain in his chest. A constant reminder that he can never have the thing he desperately wants.

He sat on his bed, hunched over the trash bin while coughing up another wave of white and pink flower petals and a touch of blood. _'It’s getting worse…'_ He thought. _'I can’t keep this up for very much longer.'_ He took a few painful breaths before being struck by another coughing fit.

His beloved cat, Foofy, had just made his way into Chris’s room and hopped up on the bed. He walked over to Chris and started rubbing against his side. Chris just gave him a chin scratch and a somber smile. “You’re the only one who knows, Foofy. You’ll still keep my secret, won’t you?” Foofy just meowed in response.

~~

Another three weeks went by and Chris had begun coughing up fully bloomed flowers instead of just petals. Curious of what they were, he looked them up on his phone. The white ones were gardenias, and the pink ones were camellias. Secret love and longing. _'Seems appropriate.'_ He thought bitterly. _'Mom almost caught me today, that would’ve been bad.'_ He frowned. _'I don’t want anyone to worry. No one can know about this.'_

Two more weeks. It’s gotten really painful. There’s been more blood mixed in with the flowers that he coughs up. He can feel them in his lungs and it hurts to breath. But still he won’t tell anyone. Not a soul, except for Foofy. However, that was about to change, whether he wanted it to or not.

~~

He had gotten into an argument with Betty in the park over which animal was better, cats or dogs. There was a lot of shouting involved as Ted and Nick stood by and watched their ridiculous friends bicker. It was then that Chris felt another fit coming. His shouting stopped and his eyes widened before he started coughing. Betty’s angry expression changed to one of concern and shock as Chris dropped to his knees, coughing violently. The pain was excruciating as flowers and blood fell from his mouth and onto the ground. Ted and Nick came rushing over, trying to see what happened.

Black spots danced in the corner of Chris’ vision, his body was shaking and he felt weak and dizzy. “Chris!” Was that Ted’s voice? Oh god, now Ted was going to worry. _'Not him! Please! Anyone but him! I don’t… want him… to worry…'_ His last thoughts before he passed out.

Ted caught him as he fell to the side unconscious. Nick had pulled out his phone and dialled 911 as soon as he saw the blood on the ground. Betty just stood there in shock and horror, she had read about this and knew exactly what it was. Very soon, sirens were heard and medics came rushing into the park with a stretcher, making a beeline to where the teens were.

Nick explained everything to them as they loaded Chris onto the stretcher before carrying him away to the ambulance. Ted had pulled out his phone and called Chris’ mother, Kate, and told her what had happened with shaky words. The lot of them then made their way to the hospital.

~~

Chris came to on a hospital bed. Looking around the room he saw a doctor, his mother, Aiden, and Ted who had refused to leave the room despite not being family. “He has Hanahaki Disease, and a pretty severe case of it to.” The doctor said.

“What is that? What does it mean?” Kate asked in a nervous tone.

“Hanahaki Disease is a somewhat rare disease that affects the heart and lungs. It’s a strange phenomenon that causes flowers to take root and bloom in those organs causing tremendous pain and discomfort. Though the scientific reasoning behind it is unknown, every case has been linked to some form of unrequited love.” The doctor explained. “And without the proper treatment, he could die.”

 _'I already knew that…'_ Chris thought.

“Well what’s the proper treatment?” Kate questioned. “There has to be something that can be done, right?”

“The obvious answer would be that his feelings for this person are returned. However, if that isn’t the case, we could remove the disease through surgery, but that would also cause all memories of the person who caused this to disappear.” The doctor replied.

“...No…” Chris said in a horse, quiet voice, his head lowered. That caught everyone’s attention and they all turned to look at him. He looked up at everyone, tears making their way down his cheeks. “I’d rather die then forget about him.” He choked out.

“Him…?” Aiden murmured to himself, but no one heard.

Kate walked over to the bedside. “Honey, I don’t think you understand. You _will_ die if this isn’t treated. And I-”

“I know.” Chris cut her off. “I made my decision months ago. I don’t want to forget.”

Kate looked at him sadly and could tell there was nothing she could do to change his mind. “Can you tell us who it is? Maybe they can return you feelings and make this go away.” Ted brought up.

Chris looked at him with a sad smile. “That’s a nice thought, but I already know that my feelings are pointless. So we shouldn’t get our hopes up.” He said. Everyone in the room had to accept it. Chris’ decision had been made.

~~

Kate had left the room with the doctor, trying to find out if there were any more possible options. Ted had left to go find some snacks for Chris, Aiden, and himself, as hospital food in notoriously horrible. Aiden had stayed behind in the room with Chris and dragged a chair over to the bedside, sitting next to his brother.

As Ted returned with snacks from the vending machine, he paused outside the door when he heard Aiden speaking. “It’s Ted, isn’t it…” He had said.

There was no response for a moment before Chris said, “You can’t tell him… He’d be devastated knowing that he’s the cause of this…” The sorrow evident in his voice.

“He’s gonna find out eventually.”

“No he won’t. Because nobody is going to tell him… for his sake…”

Deciding that he’s heard enough, Ted knocked on the door and opened it. “I brought something to eat. I know hospital food sucks.” He said.

Chris smiled at him. “Thanks man, I was getting hungry.” Ted just nodded.

~~

It’s been five days since Chris was admitted to the hospital, and someone has been at his side the entire time. Sometimes it was his mom, sometimes it was Aiden, sometimes it was Ted. They could all see that Chris was growing weaker at a rapid rate, and it pained them to watch. Ted still couldn’t believe what he had heard that day. _'It’s my fault that Chris is like this… and he won’t even tell me…'_ He would think.

Betty and Nick had stopped by to see how he was doing, though they had to leave quickly after as Betty couldn’t stop crying. Just because Chris was her enemy, that didn’t mean that she wanted him to die.

Today Ted was sitting with him. There was a silence between the two of them before Chris spoke up. “You heard what Aiden had said, didn’t you.”

Ted looked up at him. “What?”

“Please don’t lie to me, Ted.”

Ted was quiet. “...Yes… I heard your conversation… I’m sorry…”

Chris sighed heavily. “Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault.”

“But it is my fault!” Ted sobbed. “It’s all my fault that you’re like this!”

“Hey! Don’t cry! I’m not mad or upset or anything! It’s just how things worked out. I’m just as much to blame as you are.” Chris reached out and grabbed Ted’s hand as he continued to cry.

The two stayed like this for a few minutes before Ted’s sobs died down to sniffles. “I’m sorry…” He whispered.

“It’s okay…” Chris whispered back. It was quiet. Chris had turned his gaze to the world outside his window. The sky was a nice shade of blue with just a few clouds. “Ted? Can I ask you something?” He said quietly, not wanting to disturb the silence.

Ted looked up at him and squeezed his hand gently. “Anything.”

Chris waited for a moment, gathering courage for what he was about to ask. “Can… Can you kiss me? Just one time? That’s all I ask…” Ted stared at him in shock.

Chris watched Ted stand from the corner of his eye. _'Great, I made it weird. Now he’s going to leave.'_ But Ted surprised him by taking a step closer to the bed. Chris looked up at him as Ted leaned down and gently pressed their lips together.

He returned the kiss immediately, bringing his hands up to cup Ted’s face, lightly running his thumb across his cheek. He tentatively swiped his tongue along Ted’s lower lip, asking permission to deepen the kiss which Ted granted by opening his mouth slightly. And for a moment, there was no pain. No pain, no flowers, no rejection. Just Ted. His smell, his touch, his taste. It was wonderful.

They pulled away moments later, gazing into each other’s lidded eyes. Tears were streaming down Chris’s face, it was his turn to cry. He smiled at Ted, “Thank you…” He whispered before quickly turning his head to the side, coughing up more flowers. Ted ran his hand through Chris’ hair as he coughed. When the fit died down, Chris looked at him, exhausted. “I’m going to try to sleep, okay?”

“Okay, I’ll see you when you wake up.” Ted assured softly.

Chris leaned back and closed his eyes, drifting off rather quickly. Ted stood up and left the room for a moment, going off to get something to drink.

~~

When Ted arrived back at the room, people were in a panic. Doctors and nurses were rushing in and out of Chris’ room. Ted was confused until he heard it. The heart monitor. It was flatlining.

Dropping his drink, Ted ran towards Chris’ room, calling out his name. Some doctors had to restrain him to prevent him from getting in the way. They did all they could, but it was too late. Chris was gone.

~~

It had been a week since Chris died. And it had been raining for that entire week, as if the entire world was mourning the loss of Chris.

Kate was angry, mainly at herself. She should’ve tried to change his mind about the surgery, maybe then her son would still be alive.

Aiden had stopped talking completely. He was absolutely silent. Not talking to anyone about anything, but nobody blamed him.

Ted took it the hardest. After the funeral, he locked himself in his room. Barely eating. Barely sleeping. His parents had tried to coax him out of his room but nothing they tried seemed to work. He would stay in his room, curled up, clutching the friendship necklace that Chris had given him like a lifeline. Ted had also started feeling pain in his chest, but choked it up to lack of food. It wasn’t until he started coughing that he knew what it was.

He stared at the orange petals and small purple flowers in his hand. He recognized the orange petals as the kind his mother had in her garden, but he had to look up the purple ones.

Marigold and hyacinth. Cruelty and regret.

 _'Seems appropriate…'_  


End file.
